


A Better Place to Start

by J (j_writes)



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-01
Updated: 2015-08-01
Packaged: 2018-04-12 08:16:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4472024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/j_writes/pseuds/J
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It was a joke, James. You know, funny jokes?  Those things we get paid to make?  'I love you, sleep tight, do you need someone to tuck your drunk ass into bed?,’ that kind of thing?“</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Better Place to Start

**Author's Note:**

> [fictional characters based on the internet personas of actual people, doing entirely fictional things. I do not give permission for this work or any of my others to be used in Rooster Teeth content.]
> 
> (previously posted to tumblr)
> 
> I can’t find the video uploaded, so I'm going off memory, but there was a Periscope of Burnie’s during E3 where Adam was driving him and Ashley back after a night of drinking, and as they got out of the car, it sounded like Kovic called “love you!” and made a kissy noise at them…so this happened.

They were all laughing as Adam pulled up to the curb in front of Bruce’s house, James still filming them shakily, curled over with his head practically against the dashboard, Bruce breathless and wheezing behind them.

“Get out of my fucking car,” Adam said, reaching into the backseat to smack Bruce’s leg. He opened the door and practically rolled out onto the sidewalk, kicking the door shut behind him.

“Nope, I’m good,” he said, steadying himself against the car. "I’m good,“ he said again, like he was convincing himself.

Adam laughed. "Yeah, you’re just perfect,” he told him.

“Hear that?” Bruce asked, leaning down to look at James through the window. "I’m perfect.“

James snorted. "Yep,” he agreed. "And I’m fucking…a leprechaun or some shit.“

"Don’t fuck leprechauns,” Bruce told him seriously. He waved and turned determinedly towards his house.

“Night, love you!” Adam called, air kissing in Bruce’s general direction.

“Yeah, you too,” Bruce said absently, digging in his pocket for his keys. "Night, guys.“

James shut off his phone and wiggled around in the passenger seat, tucking it away in his pants. When Adam turned to him, James was staring at him. "What,” he said in a tone that wasn’t even close to a question.

“What what?” Adam asked, watching as Bruce opened his door, illuminating his unsteady shadow on the porch.

“ _What what?_ What was _that_? You just…” James waved a hand vaguely towards Bruce. He looked at Adam, waiting for a reaction, and when he didn’t get one, he shrugged. "O…kay. Never mind.“ He waited a grand total of a minute and a half before he continued, 

"Okay, no, _what_?”

Adam rolled his eyes as he pulled away from the curb. "It was a joke, James. You know, funny jokes? Those things we get paid to make? 'I love you, sleep tight, do you need someone to tuck your drunk ass into bed?,’ that kind of thing?“

"Yeah, you didn’t say the rest of that, though.”

Adam lifted a shoulder in a shrug. "Lazy.“

"Hm.” James was looking at him consideringly. "Okay.“

Adam looked at him. "Okay? That’s all you’ve got?”

“I mean, to the fact that you and Bruce are - whatever it is that you are? Yeah. That’s all I’ve got.” He tilted his head back against the seat. "Wake me up when I have to move or something.“

"Should fucking make you walk,” Adam muttered, but he smiled as James curled into a ball against the seat and apparently fell deeply asleep in a matter of seconds.

He hummed quietly along to the radio until he pulled up in front of James’s place, reaching over to shake him lightly by the shoulder. "Hey,“ he said. "Time to move or something.”

James blinked his eyes open and uncurled, yawning hugely. "Mmph. Thanks for the ride.“

James pulled himself out of the car and circled around it to Adam’s side, hovering in the glow of his headlights and looking at him.

Adam sighed. ” _What_ , James?“ he demanded. "Are you just going to stand there, or…?”

James kept staring pointedly.

“Look, I _will_ run you over if you keep standing between here and my bed.”

“So I don’t get a kiss, then?”

“Get…a…” Adam repeated, and let out a sound halfway between a laugh and an exasperated sigh. "Jesus, James. No, you don’t get a fucking - it was a _joke_.“

"Mmhm,” James said skeptically. "Night, Adam.“ He turned towards his door. "I loooooove you.”

“And I hate you,” Adam muttered.

“ _Mwah_!” James called, throwing him an elaborate kiss from the porch.

“I hope you trip and break your face!” Adam called back, but he waited for James to stumble through the door before he pulled away.  
______________

“Last question!” James announced. "Powerofshrimps asks, ‘out of everyone in the Funhuus office - ’“ he broke off, grinning. "Funhooooose. Can we change our name to Funhuus?”

“Fun-whose?” Joel asked.

“The real question is, which U would get the umlaut?” Bruce said.

“All of them,” Adam replied.

“So, 'out of everyone in the Funhuuuus office, who is the most kissable?’”

“Oooooh,” Joel said.

Bruce looked from his right to his left and back again. "Joel,“ he said. "No, Adam. No, Joel.” He tossed up his hands. "No, okay, Adam. It’s got to be Kovic, right?“

"If I was sitting next to you, would you say me?” James asked.

“James!” Bruce yelled. "It’s James!“

"Now you’re just saying names,” Lawrence chimed in from the background.

“No, I’m saying _James_ ,” Bruce replied, enunciating carefully. "Okay, no, but it depends on what you’re looking for, right? I mean, Joel’s all soft and baby-smooth - “

"True,” Joel said, caressing his face with his fingers and looking seductively into the camera. "Hi, there.“

"But Adam,” Bruce continued, “he’s just - I mean if your question is about who’s _kissable_? Just _look_ at him. The beard’s not much of a selling point, I’ll give you that, but his face just looks like it was _made_ for kissing.” He reached out towards Adam’s face. "Right there on his cheek, see, it’s all fucking…kissable-shaped.“

"Kissable-shaped,” James repeated dryly as Bruce launched himself out of his seat toward Adam.

“Look,” he said, leaning against the back of Adam’s chair and dropping his face down until he was level with Adam’s, making a wet smacking sound against his cheek. 

Adam batted him off, tilting away. "Get offa me,“ he muttered, but it just made Bruce drape against him more, looking over him into his camera.

"I’m right, aren’t I, internet?” he asked. "Don’t you just want to kiss that face?“

"Gross!” Spoole offered from behind them.

“You hate love, don’t you, Spoole?” Joel asked, leaning back in his chair. "Just because no one can reach your face under that hat…“

"Hey, I’m kissable!” Spoole objected. 

“Oh yeah?” Bruce asked. "Prove it, Spoole.“ He rounded on him, and Adam didn’t turn to look as Spoole let out an alarmed sound that dissolved into giggles.

"You tell us, internet,” Adam suggested. "Which…Funhuuser? Funhoosier? Resident of the Haus of Umlauts?…do _you_ think Bruce should kiss next?“

” _That_ wasn’t the question!“ Bruce objected from where he was practically sitting on Spoole’s lap.  
Adam turned to roll his eyes at James, but found James watching him with his face leaning against his hand, peering at Adam intently. "What?” he demanded.

James grinned. "You’re pink,“ he said. He reached out to poke Adam’s cheek.

"I’m - ” Adam ducked away. "Ugh.“

James looked knowingly into his camera. "He’s _blushing_.”

“I’m _not_ ,” Adam objected, and James smirked.

“Mmhm,” he said to the camera. "Yeah, okay…“ he trailed off as he reached to stop the recording, and Adam sighed, doing the same.

"You think you’re so fucking funny,” he muttered.

James beamed. "I’m hilarious,“ he said seriously.

"You know, James,” Lawrence said, “if you keep picking questions like that, it’s just going to make people send in more of them. I bet you money that next week we have six variations on 'who’s the most fuckable?’”

“Joel,” three of them replied instantly.

“See, James wouldn’t pick that one. The answer’s too easy,” Bruce said, while Joel looked smug.

“Well, I mean, the answer to this one was pretty easy, too,” James said. Adam eyed him. 

“Oh, yeah?” he asked. "Because Bruce seemed to have a tough time with it.“

James shrugged. "No, he was right the third time.”

“The th - ” Adam began to repeat, and rolled his eyes. "You think you’re kissable?“

James made a fish face at him, and Joel laughed from his other side. 

"Here, fishy, fishy, fishy,” he said, and Adam rolled his eyes and pulled his headphones on as James pretended to swim across the room to him.  
______________

The video went up without incident, but later that night, Adam’s phone lit up with a tweet notification that made him actually do a double take.

 _Kissable, huh?_ , said the tweet, followed by a link to a video.

“Oh,” Adam said aloud. "This is not gonna be good.“

James had edited their drive down to the best bits, Bruce belligerently yelling out the window at a hydrant he’d mistaken for a dog, he and James getting into a spirited argument over whether Adam’s driving deserved to get a red or blue shell thrown at him, James’s heartfelt singing along to the radio while Adam looked long-sufferingly into the rearview mirror at Bruce.

The shot of Bruce getting out of the car was long and lingering, and Adam was little more than a shadow against the window as he leaned out of it. "Night,” he called, as if he did it every day, “love you!” The kiss sound was quiet but clearly audible.

Bruce was lit perfectly, standing under a streetlight beside the car, and there was a little smile on his face that Adam hadn’t seen at the time, but couldn’t tear his eyes away from now.

_“Yeah, you too.”_

He watched it six times. Then, he went for the booze.  
______________

“Ow.” He didn’t lift his head from where it was pillowed in his arms.

“Fun night?” James said brightly, thumping him on the back, and Adam let out a pathetic noise.

“I hate you and everything you stand for,” he mumbled into his desk.

“Well, he looks like he’s actually capable of _standing_ ,” Bruce pointed out, “which means he’s one up on you.” Adam expected another boisterous back slap, but instead he felt the cool pressure of a hand against the back of his neck, fingers light against the base of his hair. "Hey,“ Bruce said quietly. "You good?”

Adam groaned. "Tequila,“ he admitted.

"Don’t do that,” Bruce advised, pulling his hand away, leaving Adam’s neck feeling hot and uncomfortable in its wake.

“Mgph,” Adam replied intelligently, and lifted his head, blinking blearily up at him. Bruce was smiling at him half mockingly, half sympathetically, and he reached up to the top of his head to grab the sunglasses that were still perched there. "Here,“ he said, sliding them onto Adam’s face. "Get to work.” Adam couldn’t keep himself from smiling back almost helplessly.

He worked most of the morning with them on, inhaling water and coffee, all but forgetting they were there until Joel made some comment during Art Haus about “cool guys like Adam in stylish shades.”

“Oh,” he said, pushing them up and blinking. "Hey! I don’t think I’m hungover anymore!“

"Congratulations, buddy,” Bruce said, slinging an arm around him and leaning on him heavily. "Welcome back to the land of the living.“ Adam pulled the glasses off, tucking them into Bruce’s back pocket and making a show of groping his ass for the camera.  
______________

He stayed late, caught up in his work, headphones pulled down over his ears, and only looked up when Bruce paused behind his chair, settling a hand against it and tipping him back lightly.

"Night,” he said loud enough for Adam to hear him over the sound of Lawrence yelling in his headphones. "Love you.“ There were the beginnings of a laugh in his voice, and when Adam looked up with a sheepish smile, pushing his headphones off, Bruce was grinning down at him.

"Fuck James, man,” Adam said. "There is no way either of you was going to be sober enough to remember that. I should have smashed his phone.“

"Yeah, probably,” Bruce agreed. "So. Tequila, huh?“

Adam shrugged. "Seemed like the thing to do.”

“Did it work? Asking for a friend.”

Adam smiled. "Well, your friend can have what’s left of my Cuervo, if that answers your question, since I’m never going to look at it ever again in my entire life.“

"Sold,” Bruce said earnestly, and it was only too easy for Adam to close up the files he was working on and lead the way to his car with Bruce following quietly beside him.

They ordered food, Bruce getting mildly tipsy and Adam settling for beer, until they were stretched out beside each other on the couch, elbows bumping occasionally, Bruce knocking things off the coffee table as he flailed and yelled insults at the screen every time he died.

“So,” he said finally, eventually, as Adam paused to get up for another beer. He was curled sideways on the couch, cheek pressed to the cushion, watching Adam with an unfamiliarly intent expression. “Joke or reflex?”

“What?” Adam asked, and Bruce blinked slowly at him.

“James. The video. Were you - ”

“Oh.” Adam considered, twirling his empty bottle in his fingers. "A little of both, I guess.“

"Yeah.” Bruce’s eyes were soft and sleepy as he leaned against the couch, and Adam was sharply reminded of the faint curve of his smile in the dim light of the streetlamp. "Same.“

"I mean, you also had the excuse of a _lot_ of vodka.”

“Very true." 

"Which, I will point out, you _didn’t_ have when you called me kissable.”

“Well.” Bruce shrugged. "That’s just facts. I’m educating the viewers.“

"Oh, so we’re an educational channel, now?”

Bruce grinned. "Sure. It’s like saying James has the best eyes, or Joel’s the most fuckable, or Spoole has the best butt. It’s practically science.“

"Really, because you didn’t seem too sure of science when you were answering,” Adam pointed out.

“Come on, though, you have to admit, making out with Joel would probably be pretty nice.”

“Okay,” Adam relented. "Probably.“

Bruce looked at him closely. "Wait. You _wanted_ me to say you.”

“No!” Adam said reflexively. "I mean, well, sure, I guess, the same way that James did, or that Joel was all fucking cocky about - “

"Nope,” Bruce said smoothly. "Not the same.“ He sat up a little, and Adam swallowed at the sight of him unfolding, leaning in closer. "Adam,” he said, quiet and low, and Adam felt his breath catch.

“Um,” he said, watching the way Bruce’s eyes dropped to his lips. They were slow to trail back up to meet his, but when they did, they were dark and intent.

“Do you want me to want to kiss you?”

Adam blinked. "I…hadn’t really thought about it.“

"You’re thinking about it now.”

“I…yeah. I am.” Adam looked at him, close and familiar, anticipation drawing out between them as he took in the soft curve of Bruce’s lips, the way his breath was coming slow and a little shaky. "Do you? Want to?“

” _Yeah_.“ Bruce breathed the word out like it had been taking all his effort not to. He cleared his throat. "Yeah, I - I really…can I…?” and Adam was nodding before he could manage to string a sentence together, leaning into the hand that Bruce reached out to press to his face, fingers scraping lightly at his stubble as Bruce settled onto his knees, leaning forward slowly until Adam closed his eyes and focused in on the feeling of Bruce’s hands warm and steadying against his face.

The touch of his mouth was still somehow surprising, even after the leadup, and Adam drew in a sharp breath before relaxing under the soft pressure of Bruce’s lips, letting their mouths settle into a slow, easy rhythm against each other. He reached to brace himself against Bruce’s legs, feeling his skin warm beneath his jeans, and Bruce let out a low quiet noise into his mouth. Adam kissed him back harder, suddenly wanting to hear it again, to feel the way the vibration of Bruce’s voice sent a thrill through his whole body, and he tightened his fingers, feeling Bruce do the same, dragging themselves closer together.

They kissed like that endlessly, until Adam was aching in his pants, sprawled back against the couch pillows with Bruce half on top of him, tangled and overheated and messy, with Bruce’s hand cupping the back of his neck, his fingers tucked into the back of Bruce’s jeans. He dropped his head back to gasp for breath, and Bruce let his forehead fall to Adam’s shoulder, damp with sweat, breath shaky as he let a hand fall to Adam’s waist, finding the bare skin where his shirt was riding up his back. Adam bit at his lower lip, wet and faintly swollen, and he let his hips tilt up shamelessly into Bruce’s hand. Bruce shuddered against him, his fingers going tight, and his voice was thick as he said, “ _Kovic_ ,” without lifting his head.

Adam twisted his head to the side, pulling away from the hand Bruce still had curled against the back of his neck, and he caught one of Bruce’s fingers in his mouth. He sucked it lightly, biting at the tip of it, and Bruce huffed out a laugh before lifting his head. "I’m going to die,“ he said seriously. "If you don’t stop that, I am literally just going to fucking - ” Adam sucked more of Bruce’s finger into his mouth, looking at him with what he hoped was a totally innocent expression, and Bruce laughed, pulling his hand away, eyes fluttering at the scrape of Adam’s teeth along the length of it. "Jesus, I mean, if you’re that determined to put that mouth of yours to good use…“

Adam swallowed, watching Bruce sit up and settle back, already missing the feeling of his body pressing him down into the couch, but getting distracted almost immediately by Bruce’s hands falling to his pants. He hesitated for a moment, looking down at Adam, sprawled out and wrecked in front of him.

"You don’t have to - ” he began, and in answer, Adam reached out and undid his pants for him. At Bruce’s startled expression, he gave a lazy smirk, and Bruce was laughing as he pushed his pants down.

“Cocky son of a bitch,” he said, his voice all familiar affection, and when Adam sat up to lean in towards him, his hand fell soft and possessive against the side of Adam’s face. He didn’t quite guide Adam down, but his hand followed, cupping lightly around the base of his skull, his fingers warm and supportive as Adam leaned in.

He’d seen Bruce’s dick before, but never like this, hard and desperate and so close. He reached for it first, a light teasing touch that had Bruce letting out a tiny whining noise, and when he leaned in to press his tongue to the head of it, the sensation was unfamiliar but intoxicating, the soft slide of overheated skin that he slowly slicked up with his mouth.

Bruce’s fingers went tight as he made increasingly desperate noises under Adam’s licking and sucking, carefully guiding Adam on, his legs shaking as Adam slowly took him apart.

“I can’t - ” he finally gasped out, his thumb sliding down to touch the spot where his cock was pushing in and out of Adam’s mouth, and he let out a low groan. "Hey.“ His voice was unsteady as he said, "Look, if you don’t want me to fucking jizz all over your face, you’ve gotta - ” Adam pulled off with a pop, and Bruce dropped his other hand to his cock, jerking it fast and hard while Adam turned his attention to Bruce’s thumb, closing his teeth around it and sucking lightly, tracing his tongue over the tip of it until Bruce came with a yell.

Bruce dropped back against the couch, boneless, and breathed out a low “ _Fuck_ ,” as he looked up at Adam. "Yeah?“ Adam asked with a hint of smugness. His jaw felt unfamiliarly tired, and he somehow wanted nothing more than to taste Bruce against his tongue again, to feel the steady pressure of his fingers against his face and neck.

” _Yeah_. So much yeah.“ Bruce looked like he could easily stretch out there and pass out, comfortable and exhausted, but he pushed himself up, looking Adam over. "C'mere,” he said roughly, reaching to hook his fingers in the waistband of Adam’s pants, forgotten while he’d lost himself in the challenge of getting Bruce off. Bruce tugged him forward with one hand, reaching to press the other to his cock through the pants, and Adam let out a shaky laugh.

“Yeah, I don’t think it’s going to take much,” he said. "That was…fun.“

Bruce’s fingers were quick and capable, getting his pants undone, pushing them down, and it struck Adam that he hadn’t thought to wonder if this was something Bruce was more familiar with than he was, the feeling of someone else’s cock in his hand. It didn’t matter as Bruce wrapped his fingers around him, though, everything forgotten but the glide of Bruce’s hand over him, the tight heat of his grip, intense but not quite fast enough, making Adam’s hips push up insistently against him.

"Sometime,” Bruce said conversationally, “I’m going to tease you like this. Get my hand around you, maybe slick you up with some lube, and make you do all the work.” His voice was low and steady, sounding just like causal everyday Bruce but not, somehow, more deliberate, more intent on Adam in particular, and Adam let out a strangled noise at the thought of it, Bruce driving him towards the edge with his hand and his voice, and then keeping him there, desperate and shaking and unable to come until Bruce told him he could.

“Oh _fuck_.” Adam curled down over himself, so close, but he looked up at Bruce before he came, meeting his eyes and gasping out, “ _Please_ ,” seeing the way Bruce’s eyes went wide as he registered the request.

“Hey,” he said quietly, almost gently, his other hand settling against Adam’s side, warm and firm and grounding. " _Yeah_. Come on, yeah, _fuck_ , Adam,“ and Adam came all over himself with a strangled moan.

He tipped against the back of the couch, breathing shakily as he came down, eyes closed, feeling Bruce close beside him, and he reached out blindly before he opened his eyes, dragging Bruce in to kiss him again, slow and tired.

"Yeah, I’m…” Bruce flopped back against the couch, grinning smugly. "I’m feeling pretty good about my choice.“

Adam smiled, sleepy and indulgent. "Most kissable?" 

“Mmm,” Bruce agreed. “But for the sake of science, we should probably just…make sure…”

They were both laughing as their mouths met again.  
______________

"Turns out,” Bruce said, leaning down to talk confidentially to his camera, “that there are a lot of you who think I should keep making out with Adam.” He looked slyly at Adam out of the corner of his eye. "Kovic? Thoughts?“

"Sounds to me like there are a lot of people on the internet with way too much time on their hands, if they’re having opinions on your makeout habits.”

“Shocking news!” James said. "People on the internet! With opinions!“

"I know, right?” Adam said. "Who would have thought?“

"C'mere, Adam,” Bruce said, leaning in his chair until it was nearly tipping over, stretching into Adam’s frame. "C'mere and gimme a kiss.“

"Aaaaaaand cut!” James interrupted, leaning in and blocking Adam’s camera, making a face, and reaching to turn it decisively off.


End file.
